A huge piece of rock crashed down at Edgar’s feet, the broken portions flying in all directions. They at once looked round for some place to hide in, and some protection from the falling stones. Crawling along on their hands and knees, they crept under a portion of the slab4 upon which the white figure had rested, and which had fallen upon two large rocks that upheld it. Under this they had a safe shelter, providing the ground held firm. Above the roar and din5 of falling rocks they could now hear the peals7 of thunder, which sounded like salvos of artillery8. A crack in the roof of the cavern9 admitted the lightning, which darted10 in and out incessantly11.
From where they were hidden they could see Yacka, who still stood a solitary12 black figure amidst this chaos13. The black was lost to all sense of danger, even to the nature of the surroundings. One thought alone absorbed him—the sudden vanishing of the white figure of Enooma. He peered into the depths below him, but could see nothing; he waved his hands wildly, and uttered loud cries.
Watching him intently, Edgar and Will were afraid every moment he would jump into the fissure14, or be hurled15 into it by a sudden shock. After a few moments’ pause in this battle of the forces of Nature, another shock was felt. They heard the same dull, rumbling16 sound, and felt the vibration17 of the earth beneath them. The movement increased in force, until they were rocked to and fro, and had to cling to the edge of the slab for support. Another rush of fallen rocks and stones took place, and after a terrific and prolonged peal6 of thunder a dead silence reigned18. After the deafening19 noise the sudden silence could almost be felt; the change was marvellous.
‘It is all over,’ said Edgar. ‘Thank God, we are alive!’
They crept out of their hiding-place and looked for Yacka, but he was nowhere to be seen. Hastily they scrambled20 on to the fallen slabs21, and looked down into the dark hole where the figure of Enooma had fallen.
‘Yacka, Yacka!’ shouted Edgar.
There was no answer, except a loud echo of his voice. Again Edgar shouted, and this time there was a faint response.
‘He has fallen down,’ said Will. ‘How are we to reach him? He may be fatally injured.’
They looked round for some means of descending22 in safety, and after peering down the hole for some time Edgar said:
‘There is a light at the bottom, and now I can see better; the rocks seem to be piled up in heaps. We may be able to descend23 by slipping from one to the other. It is our only chance, and we must try it.’
They prepared for their perilous24 descent; they had no rope, and nothing out of which a support of any kind could be made.
‘All right,’ said Edgar, ‘I have a foothold here.’
Will followed, and the same operation was repeated, and Edgar again found a firm footing lower down. He stood still, and helped Will to follow him. It was slow work, but by degrees they neared the bottom.
Edgar looked down from the ledge26 upon which he was standing27, and saw Yacka lying near the foot of the rock.
‘Are you badly hurt?’ he called out.
‘Not much hurt,’ replied Yacka. ‘My leg pains, but is not broken.’
‘It is a big drop from here,’ said Edgar, ‘but it does not look a dangerous place to fall on. I’ll chance it.’
He let himself down to his full length, and then dropped.
‘It is quite safe,’ he shouted to Will.
Will followed, and they found they were on a bed of moss28 and ferns that had flourished in the darkness, and had been kept green by the dampness.
Yacka was not much hurt. He had slipped, and fallen a considerable distance, and his descent had been checked by a projection29 in the rock. From this he had gradually descended30, much in the same way as Will and Edgar.
‘Where are we?’ said Edgar. ‘This cavern must have been in its present state a long time.’
‘It has,’ said Yacka. ‘This is the place I was to show you. The White Spirit of Enooma guarded the entrance. The place where she rested formed the opening. She fell down here, and is gone; Enooma will be seen no more. When her treasure is gone there will be no need for her to guard it. Her task is ended, and she will watch no more.’
‘If the figure fell on the moss and ferns it would not be much injured,’ said Edgar; ‘we will search for Enooma while you rest here.’
‘It is not good for Yacka to remain; he will search with you,’ said the black.
‘She must be near here,’ said Will. ‘See, there is the opening down which she fell.’
They searched in every direction, but could find no trace of the figure. Edgar felt they were treading on some soft substance like sand, and, stooping down, felt it with his hands. It was like powder, quite white and fine.
‘The figure must have crumbled31 away,’ said Edgar. ‘Look at this powder’; and he handed some to Will.
‘Enooma has gone; the White Spirit has left her cave, and has shown no sign.’
‘This is a sign,’ said Edgar. ‘Your white lady has crumbled to dust. The figure must have been one of Nature’s freaks, and having become decayed and rotten with age, has been ground to powder by the fall.’
‘I should like to know how the figure came where we found it,’ said Will.
‘It was placed there by the Enooma years and years ago,’ said Yacka. ‘It was a pure block of white stone then, and no figure on it. The White Spirit formed the figure, and Yacka is the son of Enooma.’
‘Was Enooma, your mother, a white woman?’ said Edgar.
‘I knew no mother,’ said Yacka. ‘She left me before I could speak. The tribe knew she was white, and her spirit lived in these caves. Now the spirit is gone, and the Enooma will seek a new country. It is good; we have lived here too long. We shall go north, and be near the sea; that will give strength to the Enooma, and make them strong big men.’
‘How are we to get out of this place,’ said Will.
‘Easy way out,’ said Yacka; ‘but hard way in.’
Edgar thought this strange, but waited to see what Yacka meant.
‘Come,’ said Yacka, limping along. ‘I will show you the riches of Enooma.’
He led them along a dark passage into another cave, and here the light streamed in from a cleft33 in the rock. Gold glittered in heaps on the floor. There were nuggets of gold almost solid, and some as large as a goose egg. They were scattered34 about in reckless profusion35. There were diamonds of small size, uncut, and great rubies36 of pigeon-blood colour. It was a cave of riches, and Edgar and Will feasted their eyes on it in amazement37. They held the rubies in their hands, and gloated over their wondrous38 colour. They handled the gold and felt its weight, and were bewildered with the nature of the discovery.
‘How did all this come here?’ said Edgar. ‘To whom does it belong?’
‘It is mine,’ said Yacka. ‘I am the son of Enooma, and the tribe collected it. None of them know its value. They do not wish for gold or stones. All they wish for is to live a savage39 life, and to have a country of their own. They cannot be taught what such things as these mean. Yacka has been in great cities and knows. He has seen the white man kill for love of gold; he has seen the women of the white men sell themselves for these,’ and he held up some rubies and diamonds. ‘It is better for the Enooma to remain as they are. Gold would make them fight amongst themselves, now they fight their enemies.’
‘You may be right,’ said Edgar. ‘All the same, I should like a few samples of your wealth, Yacka.’
‘Take what you will,’ said Yacka. ‘It is far to carry it. Do not take too much, or you will not reach Yanda again. Water is more precious than gold sometimes.’
‘May we return and take away more?’ asked Will.
‘If you can find the place,’ said the black; ‘but Yacka will show you no more.’
‘Then I am afraid we shall not have much chance,’ said Will. ‘It is a pity all this wealth should be wasted.’
‘Others may find it, and take their share,’ said Yacka. ‘It is not good for one man to have too much.’
‘We can carry enough away with us,’ said Edgar, ‘to give us a start in life, anyhow. Perhaps Yacka is right. It is not good for a man to have too much. Will you help us, Yacka?’
‘To carry gold for you?’ said the black.
‘Yes,’ said Edgar.
‘I will carry some, and stones for you, but I will not use any,’ Yacka said.
‘You’re a strange being,’ said Edgar; ‘but the black man lives not as the white man.’
Edgar dropped the subject. Whatever the cruel, cowardly conduct of the blacks might be, he knew enough about the pursuit of wealth to refrain from arguing with Yacka.
‘The tribe will be waiting for us,’ said Yacka. ‘We must return.’
‘Perhaps the earthquake has frightened them away,’ said Will.
‘They would not feel it so much as we did, being underground,’ said Edgar.
‘It was no earthquake,’ said Yacka. ‘It was the White Spirit welcoming you.’
‘A strange welcome,’ said Edgar.
‘Had it been an earthquake you would have been killed,’ said Yacka. ‘I have seen what an earthquake does. It swallows up mountains and trees, and heaves up other mountains in their place. All the plains of Australia were formed by earthquakes,[184] and the mountains were thrown up to make that part smooth.’
‘How long will it take us to return to the tribe?’ said Edgar.
‘Not long,’ replied Yacka. ‘We will go now. We can return for the gold.’
‘We had better take some now,’ said practical Will.
Edgar was nothing loath41, and they filled what pockets they had left in their torn clothes with gold, rubies, and diamonds.
Yacka watched them and said:
‘I will return for more. You need not come again.’
‘You mean you do not wish us to return,’ said Edgar.
‘That is it,’ said Yacka. ‘I will return alone.’
To this they agreed, acknowledging that Yacka had the right to do as he pleased, as it was undoubtedly42 his find. They were not long in getting out of this strange labyrinth43 of caves and passages, and Edgar wondered why they had not come in this way. Before they reached the exit Yacka said they must be blindfolded44. To this at first they protested, but as Yacka was firm, and they were in his power, they consented.
Yacka led Will by the hand, Edgar holding Will’s other hand. They tramped in this way for a considerable time, and then Yacka removed the covering from their eyes.
They were on the grassy45 plain once more, but the whole scene had been changed by the wondrous[185] forces of Nature. Huge masses of rock were strewn about, and trees were felled and torn up by the roots. Where they had entered the mountains there was no other means of passing through. The blacks had retreated before the terrible storm, and were encamped a long way off. They could just see the camp fires in the distance. Several dead blacks lay around, evidently killed by falling rocks, but Yacka took very little notice of them. Death ended all for these men, and, being dead, Yacka thought no more of them.
When Edgar looked round to see where they had come out of the caves, there was no opening anywhere. Yacka smiled as he said:
‘You will never find the entrance. It is known only to me, and once I lost it and never found it again.’
‘Then that is the reason we went in the other way,’ said Edgar.
‘Yes,’ said Yacka. ‘Now I have the way out, I can find the way in again.’
They marched towards the camp, and the Enooma rushed to meet them, uttering loud cries of delight. They had never expected to see them return alive after such a terrific earthquake. These blacks were strange people. Terrified as they had recently been, they had in a very few hours forgotten their experiences. The sudden changes in this climate had made them familiar with the working of the forces of Nature, which are truly marvellous.
In the stillness of the night, as Edgar and Will sat side by side, they returned thanks for their merciful escape. It was an experience they would never forget, and now that it was over both felt untold46 gold would not tempt47 them to brave it again.
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1
stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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3
concussions
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| n.震荡( concussion的名词复数 )；脑震荡；冲击；震动 | |
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slab
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| n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上 | |
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din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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6
peal
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| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
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7
peals
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| n.（声音大而持续或重复的）洪亮的响声( peal的名词复数 )；隆隆声；洪亮的钟声；钟乐v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的第三人称单数 ) | |
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8
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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9
cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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10
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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11
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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12
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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13
chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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fissure
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| n.裂缝；裂伤 | |
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15
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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16
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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vibration
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| n.颤动，振动；摆动 | |
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reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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slabs
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| n.厚板，平板，厚片( slab的名词复数 )；厚胶片 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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26
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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29
projection
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| n.发射，计划，突出部分 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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31
crumbled
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| （把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏 | |
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32
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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profusion
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| n.挥霍；丰富 | |
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36
rubies
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| 红宝石( ruby的名词复数 )； 红宝石色，深红色 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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40
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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41
loath
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| adj.不愿意的；勉强的 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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labyrinth
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| n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路 | |
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44
blindfolded
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| v.（尤指用布）挡住（某人）的视线( blindfold的过去式 )；蒙住（某人）的眼睛；使不理解；蒙骗 | |
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45
grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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untold
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| adj.数不清的，无数的 | |
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47
tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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